Mechanics For Physicists: An Introduction, Including Special Relativity

This textbook introduces the field of mechanics, commonly offered at universities in Germany as part of structured courses in theoretical physics.Within the framework of elementary Newtonian mechanics, the basic concepts — such as trajectory curves, mass point, equations of motion, reference frames — are introduced. The focus is placed on the Lagrangian formalism (Lagrangian equations of the first and second kind, Hamilton's principle, conservation laws, Noether's theorem, etc.) and its most important applications (e.g.: motion in a central potential, dynamics of a rigid body and harmonic oscillations). The Hamilton formalism is then introduced in a compact way and continuum mechanics is presented through illustrative examples, such as string vibrations, beam bending, elementary hydrodynamics, sound waves, and more. The book also deals in detail with special relativity (principle of relativity by Einstein, length contraction, time dilation, relativistic equation of motion, production of heavy particles, twin paradox, etc.), and is supplemented with an appendix that examines the relation between the Newtonian force and the Minkowksi force.